Coach Bill Kernen joined the Hornet baseball program in July 2018 with over two decades of collegiate coaching experience with him. The long-time head coach and assistant coach serves as the team's bench coach, coach the catchers, and assist with practice planning.

Kernen most recently served as the head coach at California State University, Bakersfield from 2007 to 2015. Hired as the program's inaugural head coach, Kernen led the Roadrunners to a Western Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2013 and a WAC Tournament Championship in 2015. He was named the WAC Coach of the Year in both of those seasons.

Between Coach Kernen and Coach Christiansen, the two have won either a WAC regular season championship or a WAC tournament title in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017. Their teams have made a combined three trips to the NCAA Tournament during that span, as well as been named WAC Coach of the Year in four of the past 7 years (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015).

Prior to joining the Roadrunners staff, Kernen was also the head coach at Cal State Northridge from 1989 to 1995. In his second campaign with the Matadors in 1990, Kernen led his team to a conference regular season championship and was named the NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year.

Kernen has extensive experience as an assistant coach, the role in which he will join the Hornets. Most notably, Kernen had two stints as an assistant coach with perennial baseball powerhouse Cal State Fullerton from 1978 to 1982 and again in 1987. During his time with Fullerton, the Titans won five conference championships and the 1979 College World Series.